Overview[]
In 2009, Dell launched a site aimed at women, advertising their laptops, an example of sexist advertising and pigeonholing. Called "Della", the site uses soft-focus, pastel colours, and highlights the fact that Dell computers come in various colours and skins to "match your lifestyle". The "Tech tips" page contains such non-technical drivel as:
- "Get moving: Tools like Gyminee help you track workouts & reach your fitness goals. You can even map out new running routes via sites like Map my run. Improve your mood by listening to music, viewing pictures, or even watching a movie."
and
- "Get up & travel: Your lightweight, packable netbook can transform your traveling experience, whether you're commuting across town or backpacking the globe. Use your netbook to vlog and blog about your journey; translate your blogs into other languages; help you convert currency; track the weather; collect, edit and upload photos; entertain you in airports, trains and buses."
The above quotes are from the site circa May 13th, 2009, *after* the editors had removed even more sexist items like
- "Once you get beyond how cute they are, you'll find that netbooks can do a lot more than check your email."
and
- "Eat better: Find recipes online, store and organize them, and watch cooking videos."
The above two quotes are taken from the Salon article linked below.
Previous incidents[]
This is not the first time Dell has produced sexist advertising. In 2008, Feministing reported Dell sells laptops to women as beauty accessories.